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Climate crisis and the historic environment

The latest in our series celebrating 10 years of Heritage & Townscape at Turley sees Senior Consultant in Landscape, Townscape and VIA, Ben Gurney considers how the climate crisis is changing the sector.

Looking ahead, as the effects of climate change worsen, the pressure on governments, organisations and individuals to take large scale action will increase. While some have been dealing with wild bush fires, others have been facing equally catastrophic, freak weather events. But what will this mean for the planning world of the future, how can we bring the historic environment in line with sustainability goals and how can we ensure new sustainable buildings respond to the local character of an area?

Firstly, the way we all do business is changing and will continue to change. Since the widely-reported global climate strikes in 2019, many authorities and organisations across a wide range of industries have declared a climate and biodiversity emergency, and some have started to implement new operational practices as a direct result. In June 2020 we became a certified carbon neutral company, having developed a carbon neutral strategy four years ago in line with the UK’s climate change targets and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. A fundamental part of this is a commitment to collaboration and information-sharing to learn smarter and green ways of working.

The Ten Point Plan and the impact on the heritage sector

The reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions as a result of international travel restrictions during the last six months is noticeable. The biggest carbon-emitting industries have long been publicised and so it was perhaps not surprising to see a Transport Decarbonisation Plan proposed as part of the UK Government’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution published in November 2020. As well as the technical innovations required to cut aviation and maritime emissions, this advocates for place-based solutions such as new cycle and walking networks, which will result in enhanced public realm within new and existing developments. Truly sustainable place-based solutions will also need to fully consider and design in the needs of the local communities they serve. 

Point 7 on the Ten Point Plan relates to ‘greener buildings’ which sets out the standards and incentives for implementing energy-efficient technologies within new buildings. What the plan does not mention is the embodied carbon within the existing building stock and the opportunities to improve the efficiency of older buildings. Historic England and others have criticised current Government incentives which appear to favour new build over refurbishment. Research undertaken by Historic England states that one third of total carbon emitted from a new home is released during the construction and demolition process, and that the carbon emissions of historic buildings can be reduced by over 60% by 2050 through refurbishment and retrofit. How the Ten Point Plan plays out on the ground remains to be seen but either way, going forward there will be an increasing focus on carbon credentials throughout a building’s lifespan. Energy efficient buildings need not look futuristic and it will be important that any high-tech solutions should also respond to the distinctiveness of the local area, through robust townscape and visual analysis.

With everyone taking a more proactive approach to reduce their carbon footprint in all areas of life, it is inevitable that we will see more carbon zero developments coming forwards. As more organisations commit to carbon neutral, carbon zero or carbon negative working policies, polluting practices will become a thing of the past. Built environments will be more people-focussed with less dependency on cars as the primary mode of transport. Public transport networks will be more accessible and adaptable, and active travel routes will be well-connected and well-used. The building materials that we specify in new builds, as well as for retrofitting, together with the operational aspects of buildings that we implement will all contribute to a lower carbon footprint of the project. More trees and green spaces are inevitable and more creative solutions will come forwards in the more densely-populated areas. As we all continue to discuss a ‘green recovery’, the pressure on everyone to make positive changes to address the climate and biodiversity emergency will mount. Although only a part of the solution, I am optimistic that the amount of businesses aligned to the UN Sustainable Goals and the UK’s climate targets will soon be in the majority, which will then begin to transpire in to the types of projects that businesses choose to work on, as well as early discussions on the project’s sustainability approach.

For more information on the work of our Heritage and Townscape service, please contact a member of the team.

8 February 2021